Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of a few recent papers in cetacean paleontology, life history and diet:
Gol'din, P., Startsev, D. 2014. *Brandtocetus*, a new genus of baleen whales (Cetacea, Cetotheriidae) from the late Miocene of Crimea, Ukraine. *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology* 34(2):419-433. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2013.799482 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2013.799482?journalCode=ujvp20#.UxjI6uN_vZE A new cetotheriid baleen whale, Brandtocetus chongulek, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the late Miocene of Crimea, Ukraine. The type series is represented by three partial skulls with periotic bones and tympanic bullae, one of the three belonging to a juvenile. Brandtocetus chongulek has transversely expanded squamosals, 'S'-shaped nuchal crests, an anterior margin of the occipital shield extending anterior to the center of the temporal fossa, and an elongated posterior process of the tympanoperiotic. The tympanoperiotic and postglenoid process of the squamosal are typical of cetotheriines (as opposed to herpetocetines). Comparison of the juvenile specimen with adults shows no differences in tympanoperiotic anatomy, moderate squamosal growth, and significant growth of the neurocranium after the age of at least 1 year. The phylogenetic analysis including 13 cetotheriids supports the monophyly of Cetotheriidae sensu stricto and suggests the monophyly of whales from the Eastern Paratethys (Brandtocetus, Cetotherium, Kurdalagonus, and possibly Eucetotherium). Brandtocetus and other cetotheriids from the Black Sea region possess cranial features hypothesized to be adaptations to a generalized filter feeding strategy combining different modes of suction feeding. Gladilina E. V., Gol'din P. E. 2014. New Prey Fishes in Diet of Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphins *Tursiops truncatus *(Mammalia, Cetacea). *Vestnik zoologii*. 48(1): 83-92. DOI: 10.2478/vzoo-2014-0009 We report 7 new prey fishes in diet of the Black Sea bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) and the fi rst records of 9 prey items from their stomach contents: herring (Alosa sp.), sand smelt (Atherina sp.), horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus), picarel (Spicara flexuosa), Mediterranean sand eel (Gymnammodytes cicerellus), Atlantic stargazer (Uranoscopus scaber), garfi sh (Belone belone), gobies (Gobiidae indet.) and blennies (Blenniidae indet.). The Atlantic stargazer was recorded as a prey species for the common bottlenose dolphin for the fi rst time. The horse mackerel and the picarel, formerly recorded in the diet of Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins, now were frequently found in the examined Black Sea dolphins. The list of prey fi shes for Black Sea bottlenose dolphins now includes 23 items, with many small pelagic and demersal fishes, and it is similar to that of Mediterranean dolphins. Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) is still an important prey species, as 50-70 years ago, whereas turbot (Psetta maeotica), not recorded by us, could lose its importance due to population decline. As before, red mullet (Mullus barbatus) is recorded in winter feeding. Feeding on mullets (Mugilidae) is not a universal trait, and it is possibly restricted to local geographical areas. Kerem, D., Kent, R., Roditi-Elasar, M., Goffman, O., Scheinin, A., Gol'din, P. 2014. Early physical maturation of female common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in the eastern Levantine Basin. *Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution*, DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2013.892297 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15659801.2013.892297#.UxjI3eN_vZF Regional resource limitation in the eastern Levantine Basin was predicted to protract the growth of members of the Israeli sub-population of the common bottlenose dolphin (CBD), compared to CBD sub-populations of similar adult size. Growth curves were fitted to length-at-age data available for 24 male and 26 female CBD stranded or incidentally caught along the Israeli coastline between 2000 and 2009. The obtained model growth constants were compared to those of other CBD subpopulations from the southeastern coast of the United States and a correlation to regional seawater primary productivity was sought. As in other sub-populations, local CBD females initially grow faster than males for approximately 3-4 years and remain longer until around eight years old, after which males surpass them in length. Yet the steep early growth of females as well as its high rate of decay was found to be extreme compared to other CBD sub-populations, with 99% of the asymptotic length being reached at the age of six years. A positive correlation between seawater primary productivity and early growth rate as well as growth decay constants could be demonstrated for CBD males from Texas, Florida and Israeli coasts. Females of the same sub-population presented a non-monotonic relationship to primary productivity. Early female attainment of physical maturity in an ultra-oligotrophic region was unpredicted and is not readily explained. It may accompany early reproductive maturation, selected for as partial compensation for lower lifelong reproductive success. Gol'din, P., Zvonok, E., Rekovets, L., Kovalchuk, A., Krakhmalnaya, T. 2014. Basilotritus (Cetacea: Pelagiceti) from the Eocene of Nagornoye (Ukraine): New data on anatomy, ontogeny and feeding of early basilosaurids. *Comptes Rendus Palevol* http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2013.11.002 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1631068313001930 A new specimen of early basilosaurid, now identified as Basilotritus sp., comes from thelate Middle Eocene of Ukraine. It has basilosaurid-type cheek teeth with cinguli, similar tothose of Zygorhiza, and roots resembling those of Georgiacetus vogtlensis and early Neoceti;an unusual feature of these teeth is the presence of accessory denticles of the second orderlocated on the crown denticles. The postcranial anatomy shows a mixture of primitive andadvanced basilosaurid traits. The phylogenetic position of the genus Basilotritus is confirmedto be near the base of Basilosauridae, between Supayacetus and Zygorhiza. The ontogeny ofthe specimen from Nagornoye is characterized by large body size, slow skeletal matura-tion and intensive pachyosteosclerosis that are interpreted as neotenic development. Rapidtooth wear with strong apical abrasion is the result of specialized diet, possibly feeding on sharks For details, please contact me at: pavelgoldin...@gmail.com Kind regards, Pavel Pavel Gol'din Taurida National University Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine
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